Merck & Co Inc (MRK): Today's Featured Drugs Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

Merck ( MRK) pushed the Drugs industry higher today making it today's featured drugs winner. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.1%. By the end of trading, Merck rose $0.50 (1.1%) to $45.49 on average volume. Throughout the day, 14,119,929 shares of Merck exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 16,280,200 shares. The stock ranged in a price between $44.95-$45.62 after having opened the day at $45.23 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $44.99. Other companies within the Drugs industry that increased today were: Vermillion ( VRML), up 30.1%, Affymax ( AFFY), up 25.7%, XOMA ( XOMA), up 22.4% and Cormedix ( CRMD), up 14.3%.

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Merck & Co., Inc. provides various health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products worldwide. Merck has a market cap of $136.6 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 19.8, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 9.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 10 analysts that rate Merck a buy, 1 analyst rates it a sell, and 4 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Merck as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.